“Many children today find it easier to stay indoors and watch television. I worry that children do not know what they are missing. Children cannot love what they do not know. They cannot miss what they have not experienced.” Mary Pipher, The Shelter of Each Other  A study found that young people could identify 1,000 corporate logos but fewer than 10 plants and animals native to their backyards

 Increasing rates of obesity and inactivity of children across Canada (results from 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey indicates that 18.1% of children 2 to 17 are overweight and an additional 8.2% are obese  Since 1981 number of obese children has tripled  Rate of Type II diabetes (leading cause of heart disease) has increased in the under 16 age group (1/3 of children born in 2000 can expect to have diabetes)  U.S stats – nationally, nearly 8 million children are on some type of drug to modify behaviour

 Demise of play outdoors is a public health problem!  Unstructured, unsupervised outdoor play has disappeared  Canadian kids spend 90% of their time indoors  On average children spend less than 10 hours/week playing outdoors vs hours/week in sedentary activities  The radius of play of the average 9 year old has shrunk to one-ninth of what it was in 1970

 Culture of childhood that played outside is gone  Differences between our childhood and the childhood of today (memories)  Children’s everyday life has shifted to the inside (spend increasing amounts of leisure time interacting with screens & electronics  Opportunity for direct and spontaneous contact with nature is vanishing

 Rise of toy marketing  Lure of television & video games  Push-down of academics into preschool years  Play is undervalued!  Parental fears (media, fear of falling behind?  Elimination of recess and physical education (U.S)  Dramatic reduction of parks and wild areas accessible to children

o Nature Deficit Disorder (lacking connection to nature) Richard Louv – “Last Child in the Woods – Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”  How can one be expected to care for, and protect the natural environment if one has never been immersed in it to discover its beauty and wonder?  Being outdoors is important to children’s health (reduces stress, obesity, negative emotions, anxiety and improves resilience, attention, health conditions and mental health challenges)

o In their early interactions with nature, they develop ideas about their world o Encourages discovery and exploratory learning o Appreciation of beauty and wonder o Variety of sensory experiences – coloured leaves on a maple tree, scent of earth after a rain, the softness of a kitten’s fur o Express creativity (sticks, stones, buckets, cardboard boxes, rug scraps, shells can be used in so many ways!) o Make nature connections – learn to respect and care for it!

 Engagement of body – Children as young as 5 showed a decrease in ADD symptoms when they were engaged with nature

“ If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder...he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” - Rachel Carson –  The quality of our involvement with nature is established in the early years; this includes our attitudes towards being outdoors, our patterns of physical activity and our interest in understanding/taking care of the world outside!

 Wherever you live, the beauty of nature is universal!  Incorporating natural elements inside the four walls of your classroom transports children into a world of beauty  Not only does nature provide an infinite supply of sensory experiences that can be integrated into all learning domains, it conveys a sense of calmness and tranquility for both children and adults

 Classrooms should be filled with natural or living elements such as plants, rocks, herbs, seashells, twigs, fresh flowers and fish. Not only are they great learning tools, but they also enhance the physical beauty of your space. “Nature provides a blank canvas of open ended opportunities to think, create, and investigate.” From Reggio Children

 Nature provides a beautiful perspective of the world. Through interacting and experiencing natural elements, children learn by seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and sometimes tasting. GROUP TASK: Develop a list of ideas / natural materials that you could provide to children to enhance the sense identified at your table.

 Walk barefoot on a natural texture path  Sand wood smooth  Identify natural elements through touch  Sift sand and stones in sensory bin  Have variety of natural fabrics to touch & use  Paint with feathers, twigs, and flowers  Use twigs for beading activity

 Make nature imprints in clay or playdough  Paint with dye made from blueberries  Weave with grasses or fabric  Create rubbings from bark  Have variety of plants to see and take care of  Make shakers filled with seeds  Have real photographs of nature

 Arrange fresh flowers  Match food scents  Peel and smell oranges or lemons  Investigate pine boughs  Make smell bottles

 Sort tree twigs by width or length  Sort natural elements on a lazy susan  Categorize seashells by colour or shape  Write with tree twigs in the sand  Count tree rings to determine age of tree

 Listen to ocean sounds in a conch shell  Crunch dried leaves  Nature soundtracks  Wind chimes in classroom

CEILINGS

GROUP TASK: Consider the natural materials on your table. Reflect upon how you could incorporate these natural materials into each activity area in your program.